


We Are The Wild Youth

by Anonymous



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Based on a children's book series, Enemies to Friends, Friendship, Gen, Horseback Riding, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 05:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30050832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Between what has to be the worst roommate ever, and trying to find her place on the school equestrian program, Octavia is struggling to find her place in her second year of college. When she finds out she is finally going to get to compete in her first ever horse show, will anything actually go right?
Relationships: Octavia Blake & Echo & Lexa & Fox, Octavia Blake & Josephine Lightbourne
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5
Collections: TROPED: Madness 2.0





	We Are The Wild Youth

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for round 1 of the Troped Madness 2021.
> 
> Focus Character: Octavia  
> Theme: New Adult  
> Tropes: Roommates & Based on a Children's Book Series
> 
> The series I chose was the Thoroughbred Series (created by Joanna Campbell) and I specifically based this story on the plot of book #26 entitled "Sterling's Second Chance"

  
  
  


“How is school going so far?” Bellamy asked, his distraction evident even over the phone.

“Fine,” Octavia sighed. Bellamy had called, late as usual, for their weekly sibling-catch-up call, and it was clear he was only half paying attention to her.

“That’s good,” Bellamy replied, “the horse thing still going okay?”

Octavia sighed. In typical older brother fashion, Bellamy hadn’t paid much attention to Octavia’s new found love of horseback riding, and the riding lessons she had been consistently taking since her freshman year at college. “Yeah, Bell, my lessons are going well. I’m actually going to compete in my first horse show, or really, it’s called horse trials, in about six weeks. But the real issue so far is my roommate, she’s absolutely -”

A key in the lock at that moment interrupted Octavia’s complaints, and she hurriedly whispered in the phone, “I’ve got to go. Talk to you later?”

Bellamy was already hanging up the phone, clearly busy with his own life.

Octavia tossed the phone down on her desk, and glanced at the pictures of her favorite horse, Helios, that she had tacked up on the bulletin board above her desk. She held her breath for a few seconds as the door opened and her new roommate shuffled into the room.

Josephine Lightbourne was a force to be reckoned with from the very moment Octavia had entered their shared dorm room and introduced herself. She was the opposite of Octavia in almost every way, and while the semester had gone as well as could be expected given their drastic differences, the atmosphere was always a shade of tense whenever they were in the dorm at the same time. 

“God, it reeks in here,” Josephine said with disgust as soon as the door shut behind her, “this is a dorm room, not a barn.”

Octavia closed her eyes and mentally counted to five before she opened her mouth. “Well I did spend my afternoon in a barn, sorry to be a drain on the ambiance of the room.”

Josephine scoffed and Octavia turned just in time to see her fussy roommate drop her designer purse on her bed before sitting down at her desk.

_ Ha,  _ Octavia thought to herself,  _ score one for me. _

*

“Lexa, bring her around and do that outside line again,” Anya called out during the group riding lesson. 

Octavia sat up in her saddle to watch her teammate, Lexa Woods, navigate the difficult course their instructor had set up.

Anya was one of the most brilliant riders Octavia had ever seen, which she supposed wasn’t saying much given that she had only been riding for a year. Nevertheless there was something magical about watching Anya ride. As an instructor she could be as intimidating as she was brilliant and tactical, and while Octavia often thought of Anya with a healthy dose of fear she also respected the hell out of the older woman. Anya had literally grown up on the back of a horse, joined Pony Club when she was only six years old, and never stopped. She had been accepted on the Olympic Eventing team when she was only twenty-two, one of the youngest riders ever, but she had been forced to give up her spot when she suffered a major fall during an event that led to a career ending injury. Anya had turned to training instead, and was promptly offered a full time position at the college.

Lexa navigated the course beautifully, completely in harmony with her horse, a young former racehorse, named Call Me Sassy, that she had been retraining with Anya’s help. Lexa and Anya had been friends since their days riding in Pony Club together, when a then teenaged Anya had been paired with eight-year-old Lexa as a mentor. While Lexa was one of the most talented riders on the college’s eventing team she was also one of the nicest and never hesitated to help a less experienced rider.

“Great job! That’s exactly how I want you to approach the fences with her, that’s the way to build her confidence,” Anya commended Lexa as she returned to the middle of the ring where everyone else sat waiting for their turn.

Lexa smiled and reached down to pat her mare on the neck. “Good girl, Sassy,” she murmured to the big copper colored horse.

“Alright everyone, we have six weeks left to prepare for the fall horse trials, and I need everyone’s full attention from now until we go,” Anya told the group. Octavia looked around at the faces of the other members of her team. Ella Fox and Echo Neves were the two newest members of the team. Fox, who preferred to go simply by her last name, was a freshman, though she rode all through high school, and Echo was a transfer from another school and like Lexa and Anya had ridden most of her life. Unlike the others though, Echo had never been anything but standoffish and often downright pretentious. Octavia had been less than impressed with her new teammate ever since her arrival at the beginning of the fall semester.

Anya’s voice pulled Octavia out of her musings when she suddenly called out, “Octavia, I want you to take him through that course you were doing earlier, the two cross rails to the vertical but this time I want you to go over the oxer last.”

Octavia felt her stomach clench in dread, her nerves in full force. She hadn’t been jumping long, only since the beginning of the previous spring, and while crossrails (two poles crossed in an X shape) and verticals (one pole straight across) didn’t bother her as much, jumping the oxer was a whole different situation. An oxer featured two different poles set a few inches apart so there was a width component to the jump as well as height. Octavia knew she would have to learn to face oxers, and worse, at the upcoming horse trials, but she still felt a wave of panic when she thought of jumping more complicated jumps.

With a determined deep breath, Octavia gathered the reins and clucked to Helios. She had fallen in love with the chestnut gelding as soon as she had set eyes on him at her first riding lesson back when she was a brand new freshman, but he had been too much horse for such a beginner. Now that she had a year of riding under her belt, she had finally been offered the chance to upgrade from the ancient school horse she used to ride to the horse of her dreams.

Helios responded immediately, as he normally did, and followed Octavia’s cues to head toward the first jump. She urged him into a canter, her favorite of the four gaits, and she smiled at the familiar rocking-horse rhythm. They approached the first jump, a small crossrail, no higher than two feet, and Octavia mentally went over all of the things she needed to remember.  _ Eyes up, heels down,  _ Octavia thought to herself,  _ look at where you want to go, not down at the jump. _

They sailed over the first jump, and Octavia felt herself settle as she smiled. Helios felt incredible, and he was responding perfectly to everything she asked. The next two jumps went just as well, and then they were facing the oxer, and Octavia’s nerves returned in full force. She tried to breathe and relax, knowing that Helios would pick up on her anxiety, but it was no use. Helios suddenly sped up toward the jump, losing focus, and Octavia knew she needed to calm down and settle him, but she couldn’t seem to remember how to do anything.

She could hear Anya’s voice from across the arena, “Slow him down, Octavia, lean back and breathe!” Then she heard laughter from the gathered group of her teammates, and before she could react, Octavia lost any ounce of control she had left. Her face burned in embarrassment, sure that the laughter was directed at her, for being such a beginner that she was afraid of a stupid oxer.

The next thing Octavia knew, Helios was throwing himself awkwardly over the jump, and she started slipping to the right. Octavia hit the ground with a thud that shocked her more than it hurt. She looked up at the sky, bright blue and cloudless, and tried not to cry. Before Anya or anyone else could reach her, Helios gently stepped up next to her, and nudged her hand as if in silent apology. 

*

It had quickly become apparent after her fall that a trip to the hospital was a necessity. Octavia’s wrist began swelling almost immediately, and Anya insisted that it be checked out. Helios was cared for by the other girls while Anya drove Octavia to the hospital.

Octavia resisted at first. She knew the first rule of falling off a horse was that it was vital to get back on as soon as possible. Since her wrist had been injured she hadn’t yet been back on Helios, and she knew the longer she waited the more fear would set in and become a hurdle. Anya waved off Octavia’s pleas, unrelenting in her plan to get the wrist x-rayed.

In the end Anya’s suspicions were correct. Octavia’s wrist had a small fracture that required a plaster cast for at least two weeks followed by a period in which she would require a softer brace. The doctor had made it clear there would be no riding at all until the plaster cast came off, and even after it was removed, she would have to be careful. She had been upset at this news, but Anya had looked at Octavia in her no-nonsense way and told her there was nothing to do but accept the setback. Given Anya’s history of injury, Octavia knew she should be grateful that it was not more serious but it was hard to feel grateful in the moment. 

The ride home was mostly silent as Octavia sat in the passenger seat of Anya’s Jeep and clutched her casted arm to her chest. Anya tapped her fingers on the steering wheel and hummed along to the radio.

“Does this mean I’m going to miss the horse trials?” Octavia asked hesitantly, almost afraid of the answer. She had worked so hard and been so excited to ride that the idea of not being able to go made her want to cry.

Anya took a deep breath, “I can’t say for sure, Octavia. I know you really want to ride, and I want to see you ride, but we have to take care of your wrist. We’ll give it the two weeks and see what happens after that.”

Octavia nodded. It had been the answer she expected but it was not the answer she had wanted. 

*

When Octavia made it to her dorm room after Anya dropped her off, she was exasperated at the sight of Josephine lounging on her bed. She was too tired and in too much pain to deal with whatever shenanigans her haughty roommate wanted to dish out tonight.

Josephine’s eyes widened at the sight of Octavia, and she whistled lowly. “What happened to you?” 

“I broke my wrist,” Octavia said, holding up her casted arm.

“And this is why I don’t mess around with horses,” Josephine said with a scoff and went back to painting her toenails. “Well, that and the smell.”

“Yes, you’ve mentioned that once or twice,” Octavia observed dryly, settling herself down gingerly on her bed. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent a quick reply text to Bellamy to let him know she was okay, and then saw a text from her high school best friend.

Octavia dialed the familiar number quickly, unable to help the anticipation at the prospect of talking to a friend.

Raven answered on the second ring, sounding harried and on the brink of an explosion as usual. “Are you okay? I heard you broke your wrist!” Raven talked a mile a minute, barely stopping to breathe.

“I’m fine, promise,” Octavia said, “more upset that I might not be able to ride in the event later this fall.”

Raven exhaled, “Damn, O, that sucks. I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

“I know that,” Raven answered, “but I’m still sorry. I know how much you’ve been looking forward to it.”

“Thanks,” Octavia said, failing at finding any other words for the situation. She was tired of talking about her wrist, and thinking about what she might have lost. “How are you? How’s school?”

Raven happily launched into an animated conversation about her school and the robotics program she was in. Octavia sat and listened, hardly finding a place to get a word in, which took her mind off her own troubles. She smiled happily, thrilled to finally be able to talk to her best friend. One of the most challenging parts of college and moving away from home had been how hard it was to make time to catch up with friends. 

But tonight she had Raven’s undivided attention, at least for a little while. Blessedly Josephine had the good sense to pay no mind to Octavia.

*

The two weeks that Octavia had to endure the plaster cast were the longest of her life. She still had classes to attend, as well as her part time job at the campus coffee shop that she needed to help pay for college. That was all in addition to the time she was still required to spend in the barn, broken wrist or not.

Balancing all of the requirements of her day was no easy task, and Octavia found herself on the verge of tears at the end of the day more often than she cared to admit. Her living situation with Josephine was just as precarious as always, made worse by the fact that Octavia was more on edge when she was actually in the dorm room.

Octavia had been forced to watch on the sidelines as her teammates practiced for the upcoming horse trials without her, and she felt increasingly like an outsider. 

Fitting in had always been something that Octavia struggled with, starting from an early age. It had always just been her and her mother and Bellamy, and when her mother died three years earlier her world had shrunk to just her and her big brother. Bellamy had done the best job he could to be both her brother and her parent but it had not been easy, and she knew the scholarship that allowed her to attend college was an absolute necessity. She had always thought that once she got to college she would find others like her, who shared her interests and life experiences, but so far all she had found was a love of horses.

It was hard to watch Lexa, Echo, and Fox joke and giggle their way around the arena during the group dressage lesson. Even Anya cracked a smile here and there as she oversaw the antics. 

After the lesson was over Octavia made her way into the barn to check on Helios. “Hey, boy,” she said quietly as she walked up to the stall door. Helios nickered in greeting, hay hanging from his mouth. “I see you aren’t missing me too much,” Octavia observed with a laugh.

Helios snorted and returned to his hay, clearly bored of the conversation. 

Octavia stood and watched a little longer, turning when footsteps on the barn’s aisle signaled the arrival of someone.

“How is your arm?” It was Fox, her long dark hair plastered to her forehead, in a typical “helmet hair” hairdo.

Octavia rotated her arm, glaring at the offending cast. “It’s okay. Doesn’t really hurt anymore. I’m hoping to get the cast off when I go back to the doctor in a few days.”

“That’s good,” Fox said, sliding her thumbs through the belt loops on her riding breeches. “Well, anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I hope you feel better soon. It isn’t the same without you in lessons.”

Octavia felt her face flush slightly at her teammate’s words. “Thanks,” she said finally, “I’m hoping I can catch up enough. I don’t want to miss the horse trials.”

“You’ll be fine,” Fox said with a smile, “Between Anya and everyone else on the team, you won’t fall too far behind.”

*

Two days after Octavia traded her bulky plaster cast in for a brace, she was back in the saddle, watching Echo effortlessly pilot her horse, a beautiful and expensive gelding named Finnick The Fierce, around the jump course that Anya had set up.

Anya praised the ride, and Echo returned to the group, her face an emotionless mask.

Octavia wondered, not for the first time, what made Echo think she was so much better than the others on the team.

“Octavia, you’re up!” Anya called, and Octavia gathered her reins and urged Helios on.

“Let’s show them how it’s done,” Octavia whispered to Helios, trying to quell the nervous butterflies that had arisen.

Helios flicked his ears back and forth, clearly paying attention to Octavia’s voice. “Good boy,” Octavia murmured to the horse, “we can do this.”

She focused on the feel of the horse under her, on her breathing, and on the course laid out in front of her. Helios cantered steadily around the ring, the 1-2-3 beat of his gait a calming sound to Octavia’s nerves.

When they got to the first fence Octavia put everything into ensuring her form was correct, and she was rewarded with an effortless jump. She patted Helios’ neck and they cantered on to the next fence. Before she knew it, Octavia and Helios were sailing over the last fence, and she leaned forward to enthusiastically pat the horse’s neck. “Good boy,” Octavia praised as they walked toward the center of the ring.

“Great job, Octavia,” Anya complimented, with as much enthusiasm as she ever did anything, “Fox, you’re up.”

Lexa leaned forward in her saddle to offer a high five, “Nicely done, Octavia. I bet that felt good.”

“So good,” Octavia grinned, patting Helios again.

“You’re still planning to compete with us, right?” Lexa asked.

Octavia nodded, “So far my wrist seems to be holding up. I’ve been looking forward to finally being able to compete since I started riding.”

Lexa nodded in understanding, then turned to look at Echo who interrupted the conversation suddenly. “You mean you’ve never competed before?”

Octavia flushed red, hating her inexperience and how inadequate it always made her feel.

“Octavia just started last year,” Lexa explained, “she’s learned so much and come so far in such a short time.”

Echo nodded slightly, but didn’t say anything further.

*

“You should have seen her, Bell,” Octavia said that night on the phone, “it was clear she didn’t think I belonged on the team at all. It’s not my fault I didn’t grow up on the back of a horse like she did, with all the opportunities in the world.”

“Are you sure that’s fair?” Bellamy asked cautiously.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Octavia said, feeling her anger begin to bubble up.

“Hey, calm down,” Bellamy said, which only made Octavia  _ less  _ calm. “I was just saying, maybe you don’t have the full story.”

Octavia didn’t say anything else, and was unusually pleased when Josephine picked that moment to enter the dorm room. “Bell? I gotta go, talk to you later.” She hung up the phone without waiting for a reply, feeling slightly guilty.

“I hope you didn’t hang up on my account,” Josephine said as she kicked her shoes off and collapsed onto her bed.

“Of course not,” Octavia lied smoothly. 

Josephine pulled her phone out and scrolled through it, “Not out with the horses tonight?”

Octavia rolled her eyes, “Just because I like to ride, doesn’t mean I don’t have a life outside of horses.”

Josephine shrugged, “You could’ve fooled me.”

Octavia had finally had enough. Enough of feeling insufficient, of feeling mocked, enough of not fitting in well  _ anywhere.  _ “What is your problem?” Octavia snapped, stood up from where she had been sitting on her desk chair and placing her hands on her hips.

Josephine looked up from her phone, quirked an eyebrow, and gave Octavia an irritatingly calm look. “I think the real question is, what are  _ you _ so touchy about? You hurt yourself before your little show? Okay, now you’re better, so go do what you set out to do. You obviously like this horse thing. A lot. So stop wasting so much energy worrying about everyone else, and spend it doing your best. Those girls aren’t holding you back. The only one doing that is you.”

Octavia was speechless. In fact, she couldn’t even convince the words in her head to make sense. In what parallel universe would she ever have figured that  _ Josephine _ of all people would turn out to be one of her biggest cheerleaders?

“And maybe take a change of clothes when you go deal with the horses, you know, so you can change there and cut down on the assault on my nasal passages,” Josphine said with a straight face, her attention back on her phone.

Octavia didn’t miss the little split second flash of a smile on her roommate’s face though, and she felt a microscopic grain of gratitude for the prissy woman.

*

From the time she was able to ride again until the days before the horse trials, Octavia felt like she did nothing but work, study, and ride. She hardly saw Josephine, and she had started spending more time with Fox both in and out of the barn.

Anya had scheduled more and more practices, and it was all Octavia could do at night to finish her homework before sleep pulled her under. 

Two days before the event, Octavia was in the barn cleaning Helios’ saddle and bridle and starting to pack up the other essentials they would need during the competition. She had set up a stool in front of Helios’ stall and was scrubbing the bridle while Helios munched hay and ignored her.

Octavia was so engaged in the tack cleaning that she didn’t hear the footsteps approaching until someone was clearing their throat behind her. When she spun around, Octavia was surprised to find Echo standing behind her.

“Do you have a minute?” Echo asked, her unwavering gaze as consistent as ever.

Octavia shrugged, then motioned to an empty bucket.

Echo sat down and watched Helios in his stall for a few seconds. When she finally spoke, it was in a softer voice than Octavia would have expected. “I wanted to wish you luck this weekend. There’s nothing quite like your very first horse show.”

Octavia was shocked into complete silence for several seconds, finally muttering an embarrassed, “Thanks.”

“I can only imagine how hard it’s been to start something like this so late in life,” Echo continued, “I’ve been riding and competing for so long that I can’t imagine a life without it.” Echo’s face suddenly turned somber, “I was sent to a private boarding school at a really young age. My parents had money, but no patience for children. I think they considered having an accomplished equestrian for a daughter was acceptable, so they found a school and shipped me off. I was basically raised by the matron at the school, who was, admittedly, less than maternal.” Echo finished her story looking more sad than Octavia had ever seen the other woman.

“Echo, I had no idea,” Octavia stammered, “I’m sorry.”

Echo waved her hand dismissively. “I didn’t tell you that story to make you feel bad for me,” Echo explained, “I just wanted you to know you’re not alone. We are a team, and as someone who has seen bad competitive teams, this is a good one.”

Octavia smiled, embarrassed at how she had unfairly judged Echo, but glad to have a second chance. “Thanks for the well wishes, and I agree, this is a pretty great team.”

Echo looked from Helios and back to Octavia. “I think this is the best team I’ve ever been a part of,” Echo said with a smile, “and I have a feeling this weekend is going to be one terrific horse trials.”

“God I hope so,” Octavia said with a grin, “otherwise this broken wrist was all for nothing.”

Echo burst out in such loud laughter that Helios jerked his head up to stare at both girls suspiciously. 

*

Octavia’s alarm sounded at four in the morning on the Saturday of the competition and she hurried to shut off the offending noise and disappear from the dorm room before Josephine threw something at her. 

Her heart stopped when she heard Josephine’s sleep hazy voice as she was pulling a sweatshirt over her head. “Hey, Octavia?”

“Sorry about the alarm, I was trying -” Octavia started explaining, the words slipping out faster than she could comprehend them.

“It’s fine.” Josephine’s face appeared from beneath her covers, her usually perfect hair in disarray. “I just wanted to say,” Josephine continued, after a massive yawn, “that you’re going to do great. No one who gets up this damn early on a Saturday can do anything but great. Good luck.”

Octavia felt the shock radiate through her body, and she sat in stunned silence for a few more seconds than she meant to. When she finally spoke it was in a strangled whisper, “Thank you, Josephine. I think that’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”

Josephine waved a hand, “Call me Josie, and it’s fine, no need to turn this into a Hallmark special.”

Octavia snorted, but then Josie continued. “I’ll deny it until my dying day, but I think it’s pretty cool what you do, this whole riding thing. Minus the smell, and the dirt, of course.”

Octavia thanked her again, grinning when Josie disappeared back under the blankets without another word. She grabbed the bag she had packed the night before and slipped out into the dark early morning.

The sun hadn’t even started to come up as Octavia made her way across campus to where she and Fox had agreed to meet up before continuing to the barn. When she jumped into the waiting car, thankful that Fox had sufficiently warmed the interior, Octavia gave a sleepy smile of greeting. 

“Horse shows always start so early?” Octavia mumbled, taking a bite of the muffin Fox had handed her.

“Unfortunately,” Fox commiserated, “it’s an early morning, and a very long day. But after it’s done, I promise you won’t ever want to stop.”

Octavia laughed, “Looking forward to it, then.”

The rest of the drive to the barn was mostly quiet. Octavia had only been able to stomach about half of her muffin before she rolled it up in a napkin and pushed it to the side, her nerves making food an impossible endeavor. 

Lexa and Echo were already at the barn when Fox and Octavia stumbled out at the car. Lexa gave a tired wave from where she was brushing Sassy. Echo was carrying a container of leg wraps and other necessities to the trailer, and she shot a grin at Octavia and Fox. “Anya brought donuts and coffee,” she said on her way past, “in the tack room, Help yourself.”

An hour after reaching

the barn, all four girls and their horses were loaded onto the massive horse trailer. Anya drove the truck, and Octavia was invited to sit shotgun. “Since it’s your very first show,” Anya explained with a rare smile.

The drive was uneventful and within forty-five minutes of leaving the barn they were pulling into the show grounds, everyone equal parts excited and nervous. As soon as the truck was parked in a massive open field, next to trailer after trailer, Anya jumped out of the cab and began barking orders at the girls.

“Get the horses unloaded and settled,” Anya directed, “then Lexa and Echo need to come with me to check in and get their course maps since their ride times are earlier. Fox and Octavia, you two stay with the horses until it’s your turn to check in.”

Everyone agreed without speaking, the more experienced girls having done this before, and Octavia was content to follow their example.

She knew the higher levels always competed earlier in the day, and since Echo and Lexa were competing in training level versus novice for Fox and beginner novice for Octavia, they had to get ready first.

The first part of the day was more boring than Octavia had anticipated, since she and Fox spent time getting their own horses ready and sticking close to the trailer while Anya coached the other two members of the team. Octavia found that she loved the atmosphere of the show grounds, delighting in the beautiful horses and professional looking riders all throughout the grounds.

Octavia spent twenty minutes in the warm up ring before her dressage test, trying to soothe the nervous flutter in her stomach and ensure Helios was prepared for their first test of the day. When she had started riding, the sport of three day eventing was as foreign to her as neurosurgery, but the more she learned about the complexity of the discipline the more she ached to try it.

Three day eventing, she had learned, consisted of three separate tasks, each requiring different types of riding. The first component was dressage, which had been described to her as ballet on horseback, where horses were required to perform intricate moves under saddle following only their rider’s nonverbal cues, a test of a horse’s discipline and precision. Cross country jumping tested bravery as the horse and rider team was required to run across open field, tackling jumps that were designed to be more natural, such as fallen logs and ditches, tracing back to the days of calvary training in the army. The final segment was show jumping, designed to test a horse’s stamina and obedience, placed after the cross country when horses were tired and more apt to make mistakes if not piloted accurately. 

Octavia heard her name being called from the warm up ring gate, and she turned in the saddle to see Anya beckoning her over. When she halted Helios at the gate, Octavia swallowed hard to quell her nervousness. “I know you’re scared,” Anya said, in her most comforting voice, “but you’ve put in the practice, you know the test, and you are going to do great. Trust Helios. Trust yourself. You have this.”

Octavia nodded and followed her trainer out of the ring and toward the marked dressage ring. When the signal sounded to tell her it was her turn, Octavia steeled herself and turned her focus on completely, tuning out the crowd and the world around her. She felt Helios responding underneath her, his body relaxed and receptive to her cues, she heard nothing but his steady breathing and the beating of her own heart. 

As they entered the ring, Octavia recited the steps of the pre-memorized test.  _ Walk at A, working trot at C, twenty meter circle at B _ , she thought to herself, smiling just slightly when each move was performed smoothly. At the conclusion of the test, after she had saluted the judge and received a salute back, Octavia leaned forward and patted Helios on each side of his neck, thrilled at how well he had performed with her.

The whole team, horses included, and Anya were waiting for her when she exited the dressage ring. Congratulations were passed around, and Octavia never felt more sure of her place than in that moment.

The day continued on, long and exhausting and so much fun Octavia thought she would never get tired of competition. Eventing was scored on a penalty system, which meant a rider tried to get the lowest score possible. Mistakes in dressage, and then in the jumping events, added up to form a total score at the end of the day.

As Octavia started warming Helios up over jumps in preparation for cross country, she smiled when Fox and her horse, an older gelding affectionately called Onyx, walked up to the warm up area. 

When it came time for the cross country portion, Octavia was not nervous anymore, instead riding on the high of being told she was in second place after dressage, and looking forward to the fun of the next event. Cross country felt, to Octavia, like complete freedom. Just her and Helios cantering through open fields and wooded patches, jumping whatever was in their path.

She cantered through the finish flags after her course, having jumped every obstacle correctly, and feeling like she might never feel this incredible again.

By the time show jumping arrived for Octavia and Helios, everyone else on the team had finished competing. Lexa and Sassy ended up with third place in their division, Echo and Finnick had run into trouble at the water jump, ending the competition in tenth place, and Fox had been delighted when she and Onyx managed second place overall.

“Just take your time, keep your eyes on where you want to go next,” Anya instructed as the rider before Octavia ran through the course.

“Don’t focus on anything outside the ring,” Lexa said. Fox added in, “trust your horse, Helios knows what he’s doing.”

“And have fun!” Echo called out from Finnick’s back, still smiling despite her not so desirable finish.

Octavia took every piece of advice to heart, and when Helios smoothly zipped around the course jumping everything perfectly, she grinned so hard she worried if her face would be sore. She trotted out of the ring to a round of enthusiastic applause and cheers from her team and instructor, and a surprise appearance from Bellamy, who she had thought would be too busy to make it.

“Great job, O,” he said, patting the outside of her calf. 

As the laughing celebratory group made it back to the trailer, Anya asked the other girls to care for Helios and told Octavia to follow her. Octavia looked over her shoulder to see if Bellamy was following, but he was busy conversing with Echo and she smiled at the scene.

“What’s up?” Octavia asked as she followed Anya away from the trailer.

“They have something for you to pick up at the registration table,” Anya said casually, not missing a step.

Octavia returned to the trailer to find her brother and her new friends gathered around with a bottle of sparkling grape juice and matching bright smiles. They cheered in unison when she held up her shiny blue ribbon.

“How does it feel to win the whole thing your first time out?” Echo asked with a genuine happy expression.

“Like I can’t wait to do this again,” Octavia answered, thinking back to Fox’s earlier conversation.

The group laughed and cheered some more, even Anya looked uncharacteristically animated. 

And in that moment, the little girl inside of Octavia who always felt so inadequate, was finally silenced.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This was a fun story to write, and wouldn't have been possible without the help of some pretty awesome people. They know who they are, and I hope they know how much I appreciate them!
> 
> The title is taken from the song "Youth" by Daughter.
> 
> Enjoy the story, and don't forget to read all the other fics in this round and vote to see which fics move on!


End file.
